Process of producing granular poultry food



Nov 5, 1935.

H. J. THEOBALD PROQESS OF PRODUCING GRANULAR POULTRY FOOD Filed Sept. ,2, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 5, 193 H. J; THEOBALD PROCESS OF PRODUCING GRANULAR POULTRY FOOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2, 1953 dd. Ji- MM Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNETED STATES PROCESS OF PRODUCING GRANULAR POULTRY FOOD Harry J. Theobald, Kearny, N. J., assignor to Robins Conveying Belt Company, Passaic, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 2, 1933, Serial No. 687,922 1 Claim. (or. 209-326) This invention relates to the production of granular poultry food from meat scraps. Such scraps, which are collected from various sources, e. g., abattoirs and butchers, are first boiled, or rendered, to obtain the grease, and the remaining fibrous meat, including a certain percentage of bone chips, hide, hair and parchment-like tissue which surrounds the bone, is then subjected to the action of heavy hydraulic pressure and m converted into large discal cakes. These cakes are next stored for severa1 weeks to age or season, whereupon they are crushed or ground to provide granular food for poultry. It is important that food for this use be as free as possible from bone chips and hair, particularly the latter, and therefore it is the object of my invention to effect the removal of such objectionable materials before the product is ultimately packed for the market.

In carrying out my invention in a simple and 2 efiicient manner I feed the comminuted compressed scrap material to and upon an inclined screening element which is gyrated in vertical orbital paths in a direction opposite to the normal downward flow of relatively heavy material large meat particles enmeshed therein. These 8 rolls are discharged over the upper edgeof the screen and deposited upon a coarse mesh screen which, being gyrated similarly to the first named screen, effectually loosens the enmeshed meat particles from the fluff. Such particles thereupon pass freely through the large openings of the coarse screen while the rolls of fluff thoroughly cleaned of bone or meat particles pass over the screen to a fluff receiving hopper. The separated meat particles are then returned to the grinding mill and again passed over the primary screening element as before, thus resulting in the utilization of all the valuable meat components of the scrap material free from hair and bone chips.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a form of screening machine for efficiently practicing the process hereinbefore set forth, which machine will be hereinafter described.- The scope of the invention will be expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawings-- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the screening machine, and

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the machine, as on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. 8

The machine illustrated comprises an inclined screen frame l0 having two screen decks II and I2 and an actuating shaft l3 extending transversely through the midsection of the screen frame between the decks, which shaft is jourl0 naled in stationary bearings It on the base I6 and has eccentric connections IS with the frame. Resilientstabilizing springs l'l mounted on the base l5 and connected with the screen frame maintain the latter in correct screening position is while permitting its positive gyration in vertical orbits duringthe rotation of the actuating shaft in either direction in respect to the normal or downward flow of material along the screen decks. The shaft isprovided with suitable counso terweights I8 to compensate for the unbalanced load of the screen frame.

When the screen frame is gyrated in a reverse direction to the normal flow of the material on the screen surfaces the relatively heavy over- 25 size contents of the material flow downward to and are discharged at the lower end of the screen, while light or flimsy material travels up to and over the upper end of the screen.

The gyratory screen frame is provided above 80 the lower portion of the deck I! with a screen platform, l9, to which the comminuted meat scrap material is delivered by a feed chute, 20, from a suitable source of supply a substantial distance from the .upper end of the screen frame. 85 Through and by means of this platform the material is initially screened and well distrib-' uted upon the underlying screen deck II.

The openings of the platform are about one-half inch square, and are preferably adjustable in size to meet different requirements of the meat scrap material. Y

The openings of the deck Hare usually about three-sixteenths of an inch square, while those of the deck ll are about from one-twelfth to one-sixth of an inch according to the required degree of fineness of the ultimate product.

When the scrap material is delivered to and subjected to the gyratory action of the relatively coarse screen surface of the deck H the hair-50 gradually travels up such surface and. is worked into fluffy rolls which are spilled over the upper edge of the deck; most of the fine material is sifted through the coarse mesh thus avoiding a congestion of hair and line meat powder on the I" deck, and the coarsemnrsize material flows downward and is discharged from the lower end of the deck and into a chute, 2|, leading to the grinding mill.

5 The material which passes through the deck ll falls upon and is subjected to the gyratory action of the deck I 2, the fine material being sifted through} the latter into an underlying hopper, 22,- the oversize passing down and off the deck into the chute, 2i, and the fine hair gradually working toward and being discharged from the upper end of this deck.

At the upper end of the main screen frame, I, is arranged an outwardly extending supplemental frame, 23, having a screen,-24, of relatively large mesh, each opening being, say, fiveeighths of an inch square. This supplemental frame is gyrated by and with the main screen frame and is positioned to receive the fluff pass- 9 ing from the respective decks. There is no liagrinding mill, while the cleaned flufl passes over the outer edge of such surface and is delivered to an underlying fiuif receiving hopper 25.

35 Q In the machine herein shown the supplemental screen constitutes, in eflect, a continuation of the upper end of the screen l2 so that the fine fluff progresses from the latter to the supplemental screen, while the bailed or rolled fiuif from the screen ll drops upon and is inter- 5 cepted by the supplemental screen. Preferably the supplemental screen frame 23 is pivoted, as at 26, to the side plates of the main screen frame In so that the former can be adjusted to any desired angle or inclination relatively to the 10 latter frame. The frame 23 is secured in predetermined position by any suitable means, as, for example, by inclined links 21 each pivotally attached at its lower end to the frame 23, the upper end of the link being extended adjacent 15 the side of the main frame I0 and adjustably secured thereto by means of a bolt 28 in register with any of a row of holes 29 in the link.

I claim-- A method of separating the constituents of comminuted meat scraps of the character described, comprising subjecting the comminuted material in mass to the action of a gyrating screening area effective to sift the finer materials from the mass and to discharge the heavier 26 materials from one end of such area and the hair and fluffy materials, including enmeshed meat particles, from the other end of the area, and

' separating the enmeshed meat particles from the discharged hair and fluify materials by sub- 30 jecting the latter materials to the action of a coarse screening area gyrating with the first named screening area. I

HARRY J. THEOBALD. 3 5 

